Christopher Finch

Private eye Alex Novalis strolls along the street expecting nothing to happen when suddenly a young woman grabs his hand and tells him that she is being followed. The stalker attacks them but they can escape. Alex immediately has a crush on Sandy Smollett who looks like the girl from next door but has a lot to hide. Albeit her innocent look she works as a stripper and is well acquainted with some strange figures. Novalis is soon contacted by them, some offering him money for Sandy’s protection, others openly threatening him. The fact that they are constantly attacked, Sandy’s repeated disappearances and the unanswered question where she actually comes from do not make things easier for the private eye.

The protagonists are a strange couple who easily keep the story going on. Alex’s sometimes naive appearing behaviour with the good heart and trustfulness on the one hand is mirrored by the inscrutable girl who looks innocent but with the time reveals her dark sides and constantly lies and keeps things from her protector. It’s especially their dialogues which are entertainingly constructed and great fun to read. The plot itself offers a lot of suspense which is increasing with the time when more and more characters add to the complication of the story.